India are set to play New Zealand in a three-ODI series starting Sunday (January 11). Here’s how the side could look for the opening game in Vadodara.
India squad for New Zealand ODI series
Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer (vc), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Who will open the batting?
Though Yashasvi Jaiswal found form in the third ODI against South Africa, hitting his maiden century in the format, captain Shubman Gill will slot in alongside Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. Gill missed the South Africa series as he was still recovering from a neck injury, and will be raring to go after missing out on a spot in the T20 World Cup squad.
How will the rest of the batting order look?
Virat Kohli selects himself at No. 3, but the rest of the order could look a bit different from the South Africa series. Ruturaj Gaikwad played at No. 4 and also scored a ton, but he hasn’t been selected for the upcoming series, with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer returning. Iyer wasn’t initially cleared to feature from the first match itself, but he proved his fitness by playing two games for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he returned scores of 82 and 45.
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KL Rahul, who took more of a finishing role against the Proteas, will bat at No. 5, with a toss-up between Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy for the No. 6 slot. The team management is expected to go with Nitish for some extra bowling cushion, considering he has been bowling consistently for Andhra in the VHT and the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy before that.
With Axar Patel not in the squad, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to be picked, as it seems the management is looking at the senior left-arm spinning all-rounder as a backup for his younger counterpart ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
1st ODI, India vs New Zealand
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Siraj to replace Prasidh Krishna?
Harshit Rana, capable of scoring quick runs down the order, will likely be one of the three main pacers, alongside Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj. The latter returns to the ODI squad after missing the South Africa series, and is likely to replace Prasidh in the XI, who went for plenty against the Proteas. Arshdeep Singh will keep his place after an assured showing.
Also read: Latest ICC team rankings: Updated ODI points table ahead of India-New Zealand series
Kuldeep Yadav was the top wicket-taker in the three-ODI series against South Africa and will partner Jadeja in the spin department.
India’s predicted XI for the first New Zealand ODI
Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
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